PA official: U.S. preventing funds from reaching Palestinians

By The Associated Press

Haaretz

Nisan 25, 5766

A stern U.S. warning to
international financial institutions has made it impossible for the
Palestinian Authority to receive funding since the Islamic Hamas group
took power, a top Palestinian official said Saturday.

It was the
first time a Palestinian official has admitted the U.S. has influenced
financial institutions.

Israel, the United States, the European
Union, Canada and other countries have frozen financial assistance to the
Palestinian Authority since Hamas took power last month after sweeping
January parliamentary elections.

In an attempt to help the
cash-strapped Palestinian Authority make ends meet, Arab countries pledged
to give the Palestinians $55 million in monthly aid.

But the United
States has given orders to banks not to transfer money to a Hamas-led
Palestinian government, Nabil Amr, a top aide to Palestinian Authority
Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, said.

Abbas, Spanish FM discuss EU aid
to PalestiniansVisiting Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas met with the Spanish foreign minister in Amman on Saturday to appeal
for resumed European financial aid to the Palestinians.

Minister
Miguel Angel Moratinos reaffirmed Spain's commitment to assist the
Palestinian people, but insisted that Hamas renounce violence, as he left
his meeting with Abbas that was held behind closed doors at a Palestinian
guest house in the Jordanian capital.

"We are not asking anything
strange, " he said reiterating that the militant group also had to
recognize Israel and existing agreements between the Palestinian Authority
and the Jewish state.

"We will continue our help. This help will go
to President Mahmoud Abbas, to his office, and to the humanitarian aid,"
Moratinos said.

"This help will be increased in some sectors," he
added without elaborating.

The United States and the European Union
cut off funds to the Palestinian Authority because of refusal of the
Palestinian Hamas-led government to renounce violence and recognize
Israel.

But both donors said humanitarian aid will continue and
would be transferred in a way to bypass Hamas.

Officials from the
militant Palestinian group have been flying around the Middle East to ask
for aid to compensate for the shortfall in Western aid.

Abbas
arrived in Jordan late Friday at the start of a tour that is expected to
also take him to Turkey, Norway, Finland and France.

He was
scheduled to hold a separate meeting later Saturday with Jordanian Prime
Minister Marouf al-Bakhit, whose government shunned the Palestinian Hamas
foreign minister earlier this week, abruptly canceling his visit after
accusing his militant group of stockpiling weapons and surveying potential
targets in the kingdom.

Moratinos is in Jordan to prepare for a
visit next week by Spanish King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia.